Mia Brookes went big to book her place in the women's snowboarding big air final.
The teenager turned it on when it mattered to ensure she has the chance to fight it out for a medal in Monday's final, though certainly shredded a few nerves as well as tricks amidst the minus-six temperatures in Livigno.
The Olympic debutante could not stick the landing on her first effort but nailed her second for a big score of 89.00 to settle the nerves before completing the job on her third and final run to progress as the third-highest qualifier.
Snowboarding has a confusing lexicon of its own, but when Brookes showed her steeze, didn’t bonk and stomped her landing, be assured — that’s a very good thing.
“That was insane, I loved it. Every minute was awesome, but it was definitely scary,” said Brookes, who is aiming to become the first British woman snowboarder to win an Olympic medal since Jenny Jones in 2014.
“After that first run, I was so nervous, but you just have to take your time at the top and not rush into anything.
“It really came out of me in an athlete way — keeping cool under pressure, not making rash decisions or rushing anything. It was nice to see that come from inside myself.
“You are definitely in the air thinking about it in the back of your mind… ‘Oh my God, I’ve got to land this.’
“The build-up to the Olympics was quite big in my mind, but when I got here it was chill.
“I never came here for gold — I came to have fun — but I’d have been upset not to make that final.”
The 19-year-old looks the epitome of calm when competing, and revealed she will prepare for tomorrow's final by practicing with friends.
However, her laidback persona should not be conflated with a lack of desire to come back with a medal or two.
"I never came here to get a gold, I just wanted to come here to show everyone how fun snowboarding is and have a good time," she said.
"If I love snowboarding as much as I did when I came into it then I've won but I probably would've been a little bit upset if I didn't make the final."
Brookes’ parents are Vicky and Nigel Brookes, avid snowboarding enthusiasts who lived in Chamonix for five seasons.
They have loyally supported her early and unconventional career, which included training at Chill Factore in Manchester and travelling across Europe in a motorhome.
“They are staying down the road in the van — it means so much to have them here,” she added.
“My gran will be cheering on at home too. She loves the Olympics.
“As much as I hate it in the moment, it is pressure moments like that that I just love. When you land, it is the best feeling on the planet. Everyone is cheering at you and it’s insane.”
Brookes will go for gold on Monday evening, with her best mate, freestyle skier Kirsty Muir, in action earlier in the day after also qualifying third for the women’s Slopestyle final.
“I have grown up with Kirsty — we have known each other since we were young — so to go into an Olympic final on the same day as her for Great Britain is really special,” she said.
Brookes was joined on the start line by compatriot Maisie Hill, who finished 29th on her Olympic debut.
It was not the result Hill would have dreamed of but the Olympics is a world away from where she was three years ago, when she left hospital after a horror crash.
"I'm pretty proud of myself and it means a lot to be here," she said. "I've worked so hard and I never doubted myself to be honest.
"I was told I might never be able to walk again and so to be here now is quite cool.
"People thought I was too old to do this because I didn't start as young as other people do but I always believed that I could."
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